ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's swimming team opened its home season Friday evening at Carneval Athletic Pavilion pool as the Golden Knights dropped a close 156-138 matchup against RIT.


Gannon had plenty of success in the meet as Milan Medo made his home debut as Gannon's head coach.
 
The Golden Knights won seven events, led by freshman Nikita Pau Poparcea Greiter's (Sant Carles de la Rapita, Spain) two victories. He placed first in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 53.36 seconds. He also touched first in the 200 backstroke in 1:58.79.
 
Two other freshmen logged wins as well. Dylan Ray (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney Community) won the 400 individual medley in 4:18.82. Bryce Buret placed first in the 100 freestyle in 47.19.
 
Transfer Jakub Loboda, a sophomore, took first in the 100 butterfly in 49.59. Junior Aidar Sataev (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan/Forest Hill) won 200 breaststroke in 2:09.48.
 
Gannon also claimed a victory in the final event of the evening, the 200 freestyle relay. The team of Poparcea, Nickolas Ambrosiani (Seward, Alaska/Seward), Buret, and Loboda won with a time of 1:24.97.

The Golden Knights dipped to 0-2 in dual meets, while RIT improved to 3-0.
 
 
Gannon top three individual finishes
1000 freestyle
3. Manny Cisneros 10:11.76
 
200 freestyle
3. Ben Williams (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) 1:46.65
 
100 backstroke
1. Nikita Pau Poparcea Greiter (Sant Carles de la Rapita, Spain) 53.36
2. Will Retsch (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) 53.54
3. Nickolas Ambrosiani (Seward, Alaska/Seward) 54.14
 
100 breaststroke
2. Aidar Sataev (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan/Forest Hill) 59.05
3. Jordan Denyer (Port Elizabeth, South Africa/Grey) 59.86
 
200 butterfly
2. Hiyan Kubagawa (Sao Paulo, Brazil/) 2:00.00
 
50 freestyle
2. Jakub Loboda 21.03
3. Bryce Buret 21.26
 
100 freestyle
1. Bryce Buret 47.19
 
200 backstroke
1. Nikita Pau Poparcea Greiter (Sant Carles de la Rapita, Spain) 1:58.79
2. Seth Butler (Maineville, Ohio/Little Miami) 1:59.28
3. Bengimin Ambrosiani (Seward, Alaska/Seward) 2:00.79
 
200 breaststroke
1. Aidar Sataev (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan/Forest Hill) 2:09.48
3. Dylan Ray (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney Community) 2:14.18
 
500 freestyle
2. Manny Cisneros 4:55.23
3. Malachi Boyle (Knoxville, Tenn./Home Life Academy) 4:56.15
 
100 butterfly
1. Jakub Loboda 49.59
3. Will Retsch (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) 51.92
 
400 individual medley
1. Dylan Ray (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney Community) 4:18.82
3. Ryan Barclay (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden) 4:23.96
 
Relays 
400 medley relay
2. Gannon 3:33.15 (B. Ambrosiani, Boyle, Connor Hebert (Damascus, Md./Damascus), Butler)

200 freestyle relay
1. Gannon 1:24.97  (Nikita Poparcea, N. Ambrosiani, Bryce Buret, Jakub Loboda)